Bird flu in Canada: What to know about poultry and milk safety

People person been proceeding a batch astir H5N1 vertebrate flu — oregon highly pathogenic avian influenza — since a B.C. teen became the first human to get the microorganism successful Canada and is successful hospital.

It’s not yet known however the teen got infected, but Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s main nationalist wellness officer, said connected Wednesday that genomic sequencing shows they person a strain of H5N1 akin to the strains recovered successful poultry workplace outbreaks successful British Columbia.

More than 20 locations with infected poultry person been identified successful the state since the opening of October, according to a quality merchandise posted precocious connected the B.C. authorities website.

The H5N1 strain the teen has is not the aforesaid genotype that’s been recovered successful radical who were infected by dairy cattle successful the U.S., Tam said successful an interview.

While determination person been respective outbreaks of vertebrate flu connected dairy farms successful aggregate states, the microorganism has not been detected connected dairy farms anyplace successful Canada.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has been investigating earthy beverage arriving astatine processing plants successful each state for the vertebrate flu virus.

It has besides been investigating pasteurized retail beverage samples.

Tam said that similar wastewater investigating for viruses specified arsenic COVID-19 and seasonal flu, the beverage investigating aims to supply an “early warning” awesome if H5N1 has reached dairy farms successful Canada.

Yes, arsenic agelong arsenic beverage has been pasteurized, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says.

“In Canada, beverage indispensable beryllium pasteurized earlier sale. The pasteurization process kills harmful bacteria and viruses, including HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza), ensuring beverage and beverage products are harmless to portion and eat,” the CFIA website says.

Yes, arsenic agelong arsenic they are cooked thoroughly.

As of Nov. 13, determination were 28 infected poultry locations successful British Columbia, 2 successful Alberta and 1 successful Saskatchewan, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s website.

Shayan Sharif, a pathobiology prof astatine the Ontario Veterinary College astatine the University of Guelph, said helium believes H5N1 volition scope poultry farms successful different provinces.

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“I anticipation to beryllium proven incorrect … but I deliberation it’s astir apt going to travel eastward successful the not excessively distant future,” helium told The Canadian Press.

Farmers are required to notify the CFIA if they fishy their birds oregon livestock person avian flu.

All poultry indispensable beryllium killed connected farms that person tested affirmative for H5N1, said Sharif. But cattle don’t person to beryllium killed, helium said.

The microorganism tin beryllium dispersed done nonstop interaction with infected animals, but tin besides dispersed done contaminated barns and different environments.

“Biosecurity” is 1 of the astir important ways to halt the dispersed of avian flu betwixt farms, Sharif said.

That means workers should deterioration idiosyncratic protective instrumentality and alteration covering erstwhile they participate and exit a workplace wherever avian flu has been detected.

It besides means not sharing instrumentality betwixt farms, arsenic good arsenic washing and disinfecting trucks delivering supplies and feed, helium said.

Sharif said helium supports offering avian flu vaccines to workplace workers — a determination that Finland has adopted.

Health Canada has authorized 3 influenza vaccines that could beryllium utilized to support against H5N1 avian flu.

Those vaccines are not presently disposable here, but Tam said nationalist wellness officials are “very interested” successful learning from Finland and are actively looking into the imaginable usage of H5N1 vaccines arsenic they show avian flu enactment successful Canada.